Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Rose Delano’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Rose Delano’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit; freely branching habit, full and dense plants; large dark green leaves; uniform flowering; early flowering, eight-week response time; large decorative-type inflorescences that are about 11.5 cm in diameter; the ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum can range from a cream yellow at the base with dark purple-colored apices to mostly cream yellow with occasional dark purple flecking; and good to excellent postproduction longevity with inflorescences and leaves maintaining good substance and color for about three weeks in an interior environment.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Dendranthema grandifora andhereinafter referred to by the cultivar name Rose Delano.

The new Chrysanthemum was discovered by the Inventor in a controlledenvironment in Layton, Utah in 1995, as a naturally-occurring mutationof the Dendranthema grandifora ‘Spring Delano’, disclosed in U.S. PlantPat. No. 9,843. The new Chrysanthemum was observed as a single plant ina group of flowering plants of the parent cultivar. The selection ofthis plant was based on its different ray floret color.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttingsharvested in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla., has shown that theunique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced trueto type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Rose Delano has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Rose Delano’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Rose Delano’ as a new and distinctChrysanthemum:

1. Upright, outwardly spreading and uniformly mounded plant habit.

2. Freely branching habit, full and dense plants.

3. Large dark green leaves.

4. Uniform flowering.

5. Early flowering, eight-week response time.

6. Large decorative-type inflorescences that are about 11.5 cm indiameter.

7. The ray floret color of plants of the new Chrysanthemum can rangefrom a cream yellow at the base with dark purple-colored apices tomostly cream yellow with occasional dark purple flecking.

8. Good to excellent postproduction longevity with inflorescences andleaves maintaining good substance and color for about three weeks in aninterior environment.

Compared to plants of the parent cultivar, Spring Delano, plants of thenew Chrysanthemum differ in ray floret color and inflorescence size.

Compared to plants of the cultivar Red Delano, disclosed in U.S. PlantPat. No. 8,345, plants of the new Chrysanthemum have slightly largerinflorescences and differ in ray floret color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Chrysanthemum showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.

The photograph at the top of the first sheet comprises a top perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Rose Delano’.

The photograph at the bottom of the first sheet comprises a close-upview of a typical inflorescence and upper (left) and lower (right)surfaces of typical leaves of the cultivar Rose Delano.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet comprises a sideperspective view of typical flowering plants of ‘Rose Delano’ (left) and‘Red Delano’ (right).

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet comprises a close-upview of typical inflorescences of plants of ‘Rose Delano’ (left) and‘Red Delano’ (right). Floret and foliage colors in the photographs mayappear different from the actual colors due to light reflectance.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart exept where general terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used. The following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif., and Leamington,Ontario, Canada, under greenhouse conditions which approximate thosegenerally used in commercial potted Chrysanthemum production. Fourunrooted cuttings were directly stuck in a 15-cm container and pinchedonce. Plants used for this description were grown as disbudded-types.Measurements and numerical values represent averages of typicalflowering plants.

Botanical classification: Dendranthema grandiflora cultivar Rose Delano.

Commercial classification: Decorative disbudded-type pot Chrysanthemum.

Parentage: Naturally-occurring mutation of Dendranthema grandifloracultivar Spring Delano, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,843.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.—Seven to ten days with soil temperatures of 21° C.

Rooting habit.—Fine, fibrous and well-branched.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative pot Chrysanthemum typically grown as adisbudded-type. Inverted triangle; upright and outwardly spreadinggiving a uniformly mounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching;about four lateral branches develop after removal of terminal apex(pinching); dense and full plants.

Plant height.—About 30 cm.

Plant width.—About 41 cm.

Stem texture.—Pubescent.

Stem color.—144A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate. Length: About 8.5 cm.Width: About 6.7 cm. Apex: Cuspidate. Base: Truncate. Margin: Palmatelylobed, sinuses between lateral lobes mostly parallel. Texture: Upper andlower surfaces with very fine pubescence; veins prominent on lowersurface. Petiole length: About 2.1 cm. Petiole diameter: About 3 mm.Color: Young foliage upper surface: 147A. Young foliage lower surface:147B. Mature foliage upper surface: 147A. Mature foliage lower surface:147B. Venation upper surface: Close to 147B. Venation lower surface:147B.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Decorative inflorescence form with elongated-shaped rayflorets. Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage, arising fromleaf axils. Disk and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.

Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flowers in theautumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year,inflorescence initiation and development can be induced under shortday/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plantsexposed to three weeks of long day/short night conditions after plantingfollowed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions flower abouteight weeks later.

Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences and leaves will maintain goodcolor and substance for about three weeks in an interior environment.

Quantity of Inflorescences.—As a disbudded-type, all lateralinflorescences are removed to allow for maximum terminal inflorescencesize. One inflorescence per lateral stem; about four inflorescences perplant.

Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 6.5 mm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Color:Close to 143A.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 11.5 cm. Depth (height): About 3.5cm. Diameter of disc: About 7 mm, inconspicuous.

Ray florets.—Shape: Narrowly elliptic. Orientation: Initially upright,then mostly perpendicular to peduncle; incurved. Aspect: Concave.Length: About 6.5 cm. Width: About 1.7 cm. Apex: Rounded to emarginate.Margin: Entire. Texture: Satiny, smooth, ridged longitudinally. Numberof ray florets per inflorescence: About 168. Color: When opening: Darkpurple, close to 58A towards apices; base, 8B. Fully opened, uppersurface: 8C. Fully opened, lower surface: 8C to 8D; occasional darkpurple, 58A to 58B, flecking.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular. Apex: Serrated. Length: About 8 mm. Width:Apex, about 1.5 mm; base, about 1 mm. Number of disc florets perinflorescence: Few, about 24. Color: Immature: 144A to 154A. Mature:Apex: 9A. Mid-section and base: White, 155D.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Anthercolor: 17A. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 17A. Gynoecium: Presenton both ray and disc florets.

Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens common to Chrysanthemums hasnot been observed on plants grown under commercial greenhouseconditions.

Seed production: Seed production has not been observed.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plantnamed ‘Rose Delano’, as illustrated and described.